{"id":12149,"date":"2012-02-08T10:06:53","date_gmt":"2012-02-08T14:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=12149"},"modified":"2012-02-08T10:06:53","modified_gmt":"2012-02-08T14:06:53","slug":"google-places-updates-quality-guidelines-on-the-use-of-po-boxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/08\/google-places-updates-quality-guidelines-on-the-use-of-po-boxes\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Places Updates Quality Guidelines on the Use of PO Boxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google has once again updated (props to Nyagoslav for first highlighting<\/a> the change) their Google Places Quality Guideline in regards to the use of PO Boxes in the address field. Once proscribed, they are not again allowed in the second address field only.<\/p>\n

Google first added<\/a> the prohibition on the use of PO Boxes in 2009 after widespread abuses of the feature to create additional locations. In late 2010, after the November 2010 guideline update<\/a>, they actively began removing rejecting listings that had PO Box in their address. Subsequently they added a nanny bot filter in the Places Dashboard<\/a> that prevented the use of the words PO Box when creating a new Places listing that gave a Term Not Allowed error if the term were used.<\/p>\n

Here is the evolution of the guideline from 2009 till today with the changes highlighted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
11\/2009
\nGuideline<\/strong><\/td>\n		11\/17\/2010
\nGuideline<\/strong><\/td>\n		02\/08\/2012
\nGuideline<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Do not create listings at locations where the business does not physically exist. PO Boxes do not count as physical locations.<\/td>\nDo not create listings at locations where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes are not considered accurate physical locations. Listings submitted with P.O. Box addresses will be removed.<\/strong><\/td>\nDo not create a listing\u00a0or place your pin marker<\/strong>\u00a0at a location where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes are not considered accurate physical locations.\u00a0If you operate from a location but receive mail at a P.O. Box there, please list your physical address in Address Line 1, and put your P.O. Box information in Address Line 2.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The new guideline is an accurate reflection of the real world use of PO Boxes. In many rural environments in the US for example there is no rural mail deliver and all mail is delivered by PO Boxes. The change will allow these businesses to more easily get their listings approved without the need for a work around<\/a> or intervention by a Google staffer via the new Troubleshooters.<\/p>\n

This rule clarification was the effective, although unstated guideline that was in affect until 11\/17\/2010. However creative spammers developed a work around exploit that allowed for the creation of fake listings within the city centers. I described this simple exploit in the post Illusory Laptop Repair \u2013 A Most Elegant Google Places Hack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Certainly the change will be welcomed by legitimate businesses that do not receive mail at their address. It will also relieve the Troubleshooter staff in Mt View of a tedious work freeing them up to solve less tractable problems. Hopefully Google has put in place adequate safeguards to prevent the widespread abuse that previously existed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Google has once again updated (props to Nyagoslav for first highlighting the change) their Google Places Quality Guideline in regards to the use of PO Boxes in the address field. Once proscribed, they are not again allowed in the second address field only. Google first added the prohibition on the use of PO Boxes in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t